Lancers are in Business: Networking with the Next Generation

Networking is all about establishing community and sharing knowledge and ideas, and two Mount Marty alumni decided to share their experiences with the next generation of business majors. David Spencer, assistant professor of business, reached out to First Dakota National Bank employees Matthew Becker ‘23 and Jeff Wolfgram ‘93 in April to speak with the Mount Marty Business Club. “I thought it would be good for the business club members to hear from a recent graduate about what he thought was important for soon-to-be graduates to know about getting a job and what skill sets he sees important,” said Spencer. “And with Jeff in a position where he hires people, I thought it would be good for the business club members to hear from a hiring manager what he looks for in new hires and any tips he has to share about college and the working world.”

Networking has been prominent in both Becker and Wolfgram’s lives even during their time at Mount Marty. “I have to give a shout out to Professor [Lori] Hofer and Professor [Charlie] Gross,” mentioned Becker, “They both gave me the advice to enter into banking because I frankly did not know what I wanted to do for a job. Fast forward to the summer of 2022, I did an internship with First Dakota Ag and Dakota MAC, and, ultimately, my experience from my internship brought me back to First Dakota and Dakota MAC.” Becker was offered a credit analyst job at Dakota MAC in June 2023 and was delighted with the work culture and his co-workers’ willingness to help him learn. “The culture of First Dakota is second to none, which is another reason I accepted the job.”

Wolfgram also found assistance with the Mount Marty community when he was looking to move back to Yankton a year or so after graduation. “I will forever be grateful for Tom Roberts, the Mount Marty women’s basketball team assistant coach at the time, and the ‘good word’ he put in for me to Denny Everson, the president of the Ag Department at First Dakota. This led me to start as a credit underwriter in Dakota MAC in 1995.” Wolfgram has been with First Dakota for 29 years and is currently the senior vice president and manager of the First Dakota Dakota MAC Division.

This duo has a range of different experiences both at Mount Marty and professionally, and were excited to talk with the group. “I enjoyed talking with the students and faculty at Mount Marty,” said Becker. “I focused on the transition from college to the real working world, and what it is like having to apply my college education and go through on-the-job training.” He said the one question that stuck with him was, “Do you have to accept the growth mindset to succeed in your role? My answer was absolutely. Pressure creates diamonds. Every day, you will learn something new and face uncomfortable and challenging situations, which will help you grow in your career and personally.” Becker’s advice to the business students was to find their purpose, never lose their lifelong learning mindset, focus on building relationships, surround themselves with mentors who are well versed in the profession and to ask them lots of questions.

Wolfgram spoke on the acronym TRUST, which is needed in the workplace. TRUST stands for being trainable, respectful, the importance of understanding first and then being understood (to be a good listener), selflessness, and toughness. His advice for those going into business administration is, “Always lead with integrity, don’t take shortcuts, and maximize and uncover networking opportunities.”

“One of the goals of the Mount Marty Business Club,” said Spencer, “is to bring the Yankton area business network to the students. There are so many local learning opportunities in the Yankton business community that our students should take advantage of, and we just need to get them exposed to this network. It can lead to jobs and lifelong careers, not just in Yankton worldwide. The Mount Marty University Business Department wants to build a relationship between Mount Marty and the Yankton business community further, demonstrating the natural ties between the two.”

The students asked many questions and enjoyed hearing about the new grad experience as well as advice and tips from the pair. “Hopefully, Matt and I offered advice and guidance on how our experience at Mount Marty shaped our professional careers,” said Wolfgram. “I love being on campus and seeing the students’ energy — it is truly infectious and makes me proud to be a Mount Marty graduate.”

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ABOUT MOUNT MARTY UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1936 by the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, Mount Marty University is South Dakota's only Catholic institution of higher education. Located along the bluffs of the Missouri River in Yankton, with additional locations in Watertown and Sioux Falls, Mount Marty offers undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on student and alumni success in high-demand fields such as health sciences, education, criminal justice, business, accounting, and more. A community of learners in the Benedictine tradition, Mount Marty emphasizes academic excellence and develops well-rounded students with intellectual competence, professional and personal skills and moral, spiritual and social values. To learn more, visit mountmarty.edu.